Town News Briefing

April 12, 2003

ENFIELD

Meeting To Discuss

State Aid Reductions

ENFIELD -- The board of education will host a community conversation with their guests, the town council, state Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, and state Reps. Kathleen M. Tallarita, D-Enfield, and Stephen Jarmoc, D-Enfield, on April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Enrico Fermi High School auditorium. The topic to be discussed is the impact state aid reductions are having on education and other services in Enfield. The state legislators will discuss current and proposed cuts in aid, followed by a question-and-answer session.

ENFIELD

After School Program

Seeks Volunteer Aides

ENFIELD -- The After School Program Inc. is looking for volunteers to assist with homework and activities for children in grades kindergarten through 6, Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. Flexible schedules can accommodate from one to four days per week. The program operates at Alcorn Elementary School, 1010 Enfield St. Volunteer training is provided. For more information, call Jody at 860-253-9935, or e-mail aspkids@snet.net.

ENFIELD

Trash, Recycling Pickup

To Be Delayed One Day

ENFIELD -- Town trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for Friday's pickup only. Friday's scheduled collection will be held April 19.

The Town Farm Road transfer station will also be closed on Friday and will reopen the next day from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Yard waste is being collected at curbside. Up to 10 containers containing only yard waste can be collected on the normal rubbish day. Yard waste must be to the curb by 7 a.m. and will be accepted in containers that are: brown Kraft paper bags; 35-gallon barrels that do not exceed 50 pounds; and brown tipper barrels, which can be purchased at the public works complex on Moody Road. Other containers are not acceptable and will not be collected.

Used motor oil and motor vehicle batteries will be collected on April 19, May 17 and June 21 at the public works complex from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MANCHESTER

City Educator Named

Assistant Schools Chief

MANCHESTER -- Patricia Free Brett, director of psychological services for the Hartford school district, will be the new assistant superintendent for Manchester schools.

Brett replaces Anne Marie Mistretta, who announced in January that she would retire at the end of the school year.

Brett, who is scheduled to begin her new job July 1, will earn $110,000.

A Madison resident, she has worked in the Hartford school system since 1997 in a variety of positions, including director of special education.

Before that, she spent two years as the director of the New Haven Public Education Fund Inc.

Brett, 51, worked in the Washington, D.C., school district from 1974 through the mid-1990s, and has earned degrees at Howard University and George Washington University.

Her appointment is expected to be made official at Monday's board of education meeting, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln Center.

AREAWIDE

Bluegrass Festival

Seeking Volunteers

EAST HARTFORD -- The Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival needs volunteers to staff the annual event July 31 to Aug. 3.

Organizers hope people older than 18 would step forward for shifts -- at least three hours long -- working in such areas as merchandise sales, hospitality, security, parking, logistics and information services.

Two informational meetings are scheduled for those volunteers. The first is at 6 p.m. May 7 in the East Hartford Community Cultural Center's auditorium. The second is at 1 p.m. May 17 in the center's room 11.

Volunteers should contact organizer Mike Breen at podunkbluegrass@yahoo.com, or through the town's special-events hotline at 860-291-7350.

WINDHAM

2 Men Face Charges

Involving Marijuana

WINDHAM -- Two men were arrested early Friday after police raided their apartment in the Windham Heights Housing complex and found 67 bags of marijuana packaged for sale.

Elvis Feliciano, 21, and Yadissre Torres, 20, both of 326D Jeffrey Road in Windham Heights, were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a day-care center, operating a drug factory and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Members of the Windham Heights Task Force said they obtained a search warrant after learning that drugs were being sold from the apartment. The drug arrest was the fourth to occur at the complex in recent weeks, apparenty due to a resurgence of drug-dealing.

Last week, federal agents seized a half kilogram of cocaine from a suspected dealer.

Besides the 67 bags of marijuana with a street value of about $1,000, police said they found a scale, packaging material and other drug paraphernalia in the raid on Friday.

Feliciano and Torres were released on $5,000 bail each and are scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Danielson on April 23.

AREAWIDE

Chamber Schedules

Business, Home Show

EAST HARTFORD -- The East Hartford Chamber of Commerce will hold its Business and Home Trade Show on April 22 in the Pratt & Whitney hangar at Rentschler Field.

The show, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., will show off locally available services and products.

Admission -- $3 for most -- is free for children 6 and younger. For more information, or to register for a booth, call the chamber of commerce at 860-289-0239.